Kannur (Kerala), Jan 10 (Reporter) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths have arrested the key accused in the infamous Thodupuzha Professor T J Joseph hand chopping case of 2010 from a rented house in Kerala's Kannur district. The NIA had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for those who would help it to trace Savad, who was absconding for the last 13 years. Savad was the last absconding accused in the case. According to sources, the sleuths on Tuesday night took custody of Savad (38) of Asamannoor in Ernakulam district, from a rented house at Beram near Mattanur. Savad, who was absconding for the last 13 years, was an activist of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), according to state Crime Branch reports. He would be produced before the NIA special court at Kochi, on Wednesday after interrogation, sources added. The NIA took over the case from Kerala Police in March 2011. A total of 19 accused have so far been convicted for various offences under the IPC and UA(P) Act in the case. The NIA special trial court sentenced three convicts Sajil, M K Nazar (Chief conspirator) and Najeeb to Life imprisonment and other three convicts Nowshad, Moideen Kunhi and Ayoob to three years in prison. Earlier, Kerala police had filed a charge sheet against 27 persons and later NIA added the names of 20 others in the charge sheet. The NIA court also pronounced that all the accused would pay a fine amount of Rs 4 lakh to Joseph in addition to the previous order of a local court. The court has acquitted 18 people after the first phase of trial . It was on July 4, 2010, that the accused gang, attacked Joseph and pulled him out of his car, while he was returning home from a nearby church after Sunday morning prayers. The accused gang was incensed with the professor for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammed in the second semester B.Com Malayalam internal question paper of Thodupuzha Newman College in Kerala's Idukki district. The assailants had also hurled a bomb to spread terror among the public before escaping from the scene...////...